Observational Period
by Enigmaforum
Summary: Gem learn's that it's hard to let go.


**Disclaimer: I still don't own PR. I wish I did but alas it's still just a wish. **

**AN: College is eating away at my life right now so this is just a short little ficlet. Thank you so much to the ever lovely pink_green_white_4ever for helping me make this story even better. Shawn for being an awesome brother and Angel for the constant encouragement. Hope you all enjoy it. **

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He's watching them from across the room, quiet and unnoticed. He's honestly not sure how he should feel at the moment. It's late at night and his sister and the Blue Ranger are in the kitchen, _together_, all alone, and they look happy. It's something he's never seen between them before; a side of HER that he's never seen before, and he's not entirely sure he likes it. He'd actually thought that he'd managed to curb whatever had started between them a few weeks ago but the sight before him tonight said that was wrong, very wrong, because it seems that his sister and Flynn definitely have something going on right now.

He'd woken up around fifteen minutes ago for some reason or another and had found that his sister hadn't been in the room they shared. He'd found it odd because she was almost always in there and then he'd begun to worry that she'd had a nightmare and hadn't wanted to bother him with it. So he'd forced himself out of bed, and had immediately come downstairs to see if she was in the lab trying to work on something. What he hadn't expected to find was the sight before him - Gemma and Flynn in the kitchen, alone, and looking like they're baking of all things.

He knew that they'd become friends after working on Flynn's Road Attack Zord but he really hadn't thought it was more than that. He'd made sure that it was barely a friendship because he knew that the Blue Ranger wanted to make it more. Gem had seen the look in Flynn's eyes when they'd finished working on their project, heard the way his voice had brightened when he'd asked her to work on something all alone after the team's victory. It was something he wasn't about to let happen, because it was his sister and she wasn't supposed to be close to anyone but him. It had only been the two of them for so long, and Gem wanted to keep it that way. Trusting others was dangerous in this war; it meant getting hurt. He didn't want to see his sister get hurt, which was why he'd tried to keep her newfound friendship with Flynn just that.

But from where he's standing, what they're doing right now looks like it could be more than a friendship. At least he thinks it does, thanks to all of the media outlets that he's been paying attention to lately. Flynn has Gemma encased in his arms, and she's leaning back into his chest as they mix something together with their hands. Gem doesn't know what they're baking, and he really doesn't want to know. All he sees is his sister in some man's arms, giggling as they spill flour everywhere. He sees the way Flynn has his head on her shoulder, watches as the Blue Ranger brushes his lips against Gemma's cheek, and seethes as she lets him do it all.

He'd tried to warn Gemma about this happening, tried to stop it, but it seemed that his mission had failed. His sister was involved with the Blue Ranger and Gem didn't know what he could do about it now. Technically, he wasn't even supposed to be down here and watching them like this, but he couldn't stop himself. He didn't _want_ to share Gemma with Flynn. He wasn't ready to share her and she knew that. He didn't want her to get hurt and still, she was like this with Flynn. For the first time in his life, Gem didn't know what to do, how to act, or even what to think. He did know that he was hurt that Gemma hadn't told him about this and furious at her for not listening to him.

And he also found that he was mesmerized by the way his sister was acting right now. She was smiling, but it wasn't the same kind of smile that she gave him or even the rest of their teammates. No, the one she had on now was completely _real_; devoid of any masks, she looked so happy and content, like this moment was one of the best things that could have happened to her.

And she was giving that smile to Flynn.

It was something he'd never seen on his sister before and from what he could tell, Flynn was giving her a matching one that was once again stripped of any and all masks. There's also the way that Gemma is dressed right now. She's not in her track suit, nor is she in the standard rainbow striped pajamas she likes to wear to bed. No, instead she's in an oversized blue t-shirt and black sweat pants that he's never seen before. He can surmise that they belong to the Blue Ranger holding her because he's in similar sweats and a tank top. Gemma's barefoot too, her hair pulled up in a loose ponytail. Again, so completely unlike the sister he knows and yet she looks so comfortable at the moment. She looks relaxed when normally she's on edge.

He doesn't like it one bit. It means that they both have feelings and that he was going to have to work even harder to keep them apart. But what was he going to do at night? He couldn't just avoid sleep and if he tried to put an alarm on the door to their room he was fairly certain that Gemma would hurt him. He could always threaten Flynn but he had a feeling that in a fight the guy could take him. Gem was quickly running out of options in his head but he had to do something to protect his sister. Maybe he could just talk to Gemma, keep her time more occupied, and hope that the daily Venjix attacks would just exhaust her to the point that she wouldn't be able to meet Flynn like this. Because Gem now knew that this had to be a nightly occurrence. Gemma just wasn't one to let people in like she was Flynn right now. His teammate had probably had to work for the position he was enjoying and Gem once again didn't like this. He couldn't be losing his sister to someone else. He needed his sister. Flynn didn't need Gemma; and Gemma should only need him.

This was the way the world had to work. The only way things should. But he's watching his sister turn around to wrap her arms around Flynn's neck. He hears her giggle as Flynn moves his flour-covered hand against her cheek. He watches as Flynn ever so gently leans in and presses his lips to Gemma's. Gem doesn't even know where Gemma learned how to kiss because he's never had to worry about her interacting with men aside from him. But she apparently has learned how to do it, because she's returning Flynn's caress. Gem knows that in this moment, he has to realize that his way of seeing the world, the world where it's always been just his sister and him, has changed. It's changed dramatically, because it seems as though Gemma has made room in her heart for someone else.

If he was honest with himself, he'd admit he'd known that it would happen eventually. Had even had a feeling that it would be Flynn that claimed Gemma's heart because of the way his sister looked at the Blue Ranger. But that certainly didn't mean that he was ready for it right this second. Gem had thought he'd have more time, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that this happening right now wasn't all that shocking. He and Gemma were changing the longer they lived in Corinth. The more time they spent with the team and around other people, the more they changed as people. He knew that they'd been growing, maturing, but it seemed that Gemma was doing so at a rate faster than he was.

He knew now that he was part of a team; that he was a person who didn't need to blow things up all the time to make things happen. He actually had friends now, as opposed to just being around Gemma all the time. He knew that those friends found him annoying most of the time but they were still there for him despite his attitude. He had family in his teammates and friends. He loved his sister with all of his heart but he knew things were changing. That from the looks of things with Flynn, it was time he made some room in his own heart for her to leave because it was like Scott said, it wasn't just them anymore. He had to deal with Gemma creating her own identity and in turn, he needed to create one of his own. Separate from the one they had as twins. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to fully accept it today or even tomorrow, but he would eventually, because Gemma would always love him. They were family, but now he needed to make room for others.

Besides, of all the guys she could have fallen for, Flynn McAllister was definitely not the worst. He was a decent guy that looked like he really cared for his sister. Gem would make more of an effort to get to know him now because he wanted to be friends with this man. He obviously had something special about him to attract his sister to him.

"It could be worse," he muttered to himself as he quietly moved through the shadows and up the stairs. He'd let the two of them continue whatever they were doing, wouldn't let on to the fact that he knew what was going on. He'd let Gemma tell him in her own time; but first he was going to have to make an effort of his own. He needed to show her that he was ready to let go. He needed to get ready to let go in the first place, because it was coming and he needed to support her one hundred percent.

"At least it's not Dillon. That is a relationship I would have to threaten with explosives," he muttered as he made his way back to his room. He probably wouldn't sleep anymore tonight but he would think. Life wasn't simple and growing up was hard but he could do it. He would do it, starting now. And then maybe in the morning he'd ask Scott to help him interrogate Flynn.

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**Feedback is always appreciated. Thanks for reading! **


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